<<Print>>

Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has strongly dissented to views that Ghana needs a National Cathedral as a memorial to God.

The National Cathedral, a promise by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to God for answering his prayers to become President of Ghana, is said not to only serve as a place of worship in honor of God but also a religious museum to boost Ghana's tourism.

Nevertheless, there are mixed feelings over the establishment as while some people are opposed to it, others see it as a brilliant idea.

The opposition argue that the President made the promise on his personal terms, hence they expect him to use his own money to build the Cathedral, otherwise stop it because the nation has no need for it.

But the proponents believe the Cathedral will help in addressing the hardships of the citizenry.

To Kwesi Pratt, it is absolutely irrelevant for the government to build the National Cathedral.

He argues that the monies being invested into establishing Cathedral should be channeled to solve the perennial economic problems confronting Ghanaians.

Mr. Pratt noted that the Cathedral is not a pressing need for Ghanaians and stressed it will do the government good to focus on doing things that will relieve the citizenry of their plight.

"What kind of God in this world or is alive and knows that today, when someone is sick in Ghana and the patient has no money may die, He will say we should use our little money to build a house for him? Then that is not a good God...What God says we should stop investing money in quality healthcare but use it to build a house for Him? Is God human? Does he stay in a house?", he questioned.

To Mr. Pratt, he has no issue if the President will use his own money to build the Cathedral but for him to use monies that belong to taxpayers is an outright misplaced priority.

"Our President, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said he is contesting elections and that he is prayed to his God. He's prayed to his God that, if his God grants him victory, he will establish a cathedral to His glory. It's a agreement between the President and his God. I am not part of this; I wasn't there. I didn't promise the President's God," he said.

"It's the President who has promised his God and if you have promised your God, must you use our money to build for your God?...Will God not answer us if we don't build a cathedral?", he asked.